Crampsie Coat of Arms, Family Crest and Crampsie Family History

Crampsie Family History

The family history of the ancient name Crampsie was found in the irishsurnames.com archives.

Many different spelling variations of the same name can be traced back to a single original root. Also, when a bearer of a name emigrated from Ireland it was not uncommon that their original name would be incorrectly transcribed in the record books upon arrival at their new location. Some names have dozens of spelling variations. Some Surnames were also altered over the years based on how they sounded phonetically, by their sound, and depending on the prevailing political conditions it may have been advantageous to change a name from one language to another. This was especially so in Ireland where most Gaelic names were 'anglicized' at some stage.

Variants of the name Crampsie include Kneafsey, Crampsy, Cramsey, Bonar, Boner, Neaphsy and Neecy. This name in Irish is O'Cnaimhsighe and the latter variants are the anglicized forms of this. This sept came from County Donegal.

A sept or clan is a collective term describing a group of persons whose immediate ancestors bore a common surname and inhabited the same territory. It is also the case that many Irish septs or clans that are related often belong to a larger groups, sometimes called tribes. For example the 'Tribes of Galway' consisted of fourteen distinct families. The 'Tribes of Kilkenny' were ten families, etc.

The variant Bonar or Boner is taken from the fact that the Irish word cnamh means 'a bone'. We first find the name in records as early as the year 1095 when a Scannlan O'Cnaimhsighe was anamchara of Lismore. We find the variation Crampsy or as it was written in the 1659 Hearth Money Rolls O'Cnawsey and O'Crawsey, to be found in Inishowen, County Donegal. In the Cunard Steamship Company lists are found the forms Bonar, Boner and Crampsie. In the barony of Inishowen is a placename Ballycramsie which is the original location of the sept.The Crampsie family crest (or coat of arms) came into existence many centuries ago. The process of creating these coats of arms began as early as the eleventh century although a form of Proto-Heraldry may have existed in some countries prior to this, including Ireland. The new more formalized art of Heraldry made it possible for families and even individual family members to have their very own family crest, coat of arms, including Crampsie descendants.